Don't Speak
by Skipper Cyba
Summary: LenaleexAllen Everything seems to be looking up for the two, but everything goes south when an akuma interferes...Romance, Humor, Action...this story should cover them all! Enjoy
1. Rain

**Hello and thanks for at least clicking on my story. I'm sorta new to the world of DGM, but I just couldn't help but write (or try to write) a fanfic. Please don't be too harsh if you decide to leave a negative comment. I am open to criticism and possible rearranging ideas so feel free to politely state your opinions. This is a highly Lenalee x Allen story, but I am planning on putting some awesome fight scenes and some humorous aspects in as well so just bare with me **

**Enjoy! **

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_ **Chapter 1: Rain**  
_

_It's raining… Why does it have to rain?_ Lenalee gazed sadly out the window. The Order had been under siege by the troublesome weather for nearly a week and it took

its toll on everyone. Reever and the science department had even stopped nagging Komui to sign documents that were now piled dangerously high on his desk. Continuing

down the corridor, Lenalee was lost in her gloom when she heard a familiar sound. It was a pleasant sound, a sound she hadn't heard in what seemed like a long time.

_Laughing? Who could be so happy on such a horrible day?_ Intrigued, she made her way towards the merry sound. Her quest ended at the large, wooden, courtyard doors

(which had been closed to keep out the mud and rain). "Who could it be?" Lenalee wondered aloud as she cracked open one of the doors and peered out into the soaking

rain.

"Give that back, Timcanpy! You're going to drop it!" The young exorcist chased after the golden golem, laughing as it darted in and out of his reach. The wind rushed the

cold rain into his eyes as he continued in pursuit of his companion. "Be careful, Timcanpy! You could get blown away!"

Lenalee half-noticed the small package the golem was carrying but didn't pay much attention to it as she became instantly amused watching the scene unfold. _Allen-kun, you _

_always seem to know how to make me smile. _ She giggled quietly to herself as the white-haired boy finally caught his prey.

"You're a real trouble maker, Tim." Allen smiled as the golem released the package he had stolen earlier and hid in the remaining dry area of his coat. "Oi! Timcanpy you're

getting my shirt all wet!"

"Does it matter? You're already soaked, Allen-kun!" He turned quickly (almost falling) to see Lenalee standing in the doorway and smiled again.

"Lenalee! I'm back!" He called, happy to see her after a long mission in Africa. _Finally! There's someone else I can talk to other than Lavi!_ Not that Allen didn't like

Lavi. That wasn't what he meant at all. He and Lavi had a great time dying of heat exhaustion in the Sahara on a wild goose chase for Innocence… Ok, Allen had 'fun' taking

care of Lavi who had disregarded his warnings and became delusional in the heat. _Although, it was pretty funny when Lavi started hitting on that cactus._ Allen held back

his laughter at the thought as he made his way to the door. Unfortunately his entrance was less than graceful; he slipped just a couple of feet away from the door and splashed

into a large puddle of mud.

"Allen-kun! Are you alright?" Lenalee asked, not wanting to rush to his aid and end up falling herself.

"I'm fine." The fallen exorcist answered as he sat up and looked down at his muddy form. That's when Timcanpy popped out the collar of his coat, also covered in mud.

The golem looked annoyed and shook the wet dirt onto Allen, who had started laughing at his little friend. "Don't get mad at me! You're the one that came out here in the first

place!"

Seeing he was alright, she called out to him again. "Come inside before you catch a cold!" Lenalee giggled as she watched him cautiously rise from the mud and finally arrive

at the door. His face was adorned with speckles of mud and his pure white hair had been stained similarly, but his smile…oh how she had missed that smile…seemed to make

the rest of his appearance fade into the background.

"Lenalee? Are you alright?"

"Oh!" She realized she had been starring and quickly looked away as her face turned pink. "It's nothing. Welcome back, Allen-kun."

Noticing her reaction, Allen also blushed and scratching the back of his head, changed the subject. "W-Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Turning back to him she smiled. _Same old Allen-kun._ "I'd love to. But you'd better clean up first. If Nii-san sees you like that, he might bring out another one of his robots

and destroy the place."

Both shuttered at the thought and walked towards Allen's room. They had begun a nice conversation about each others past few weeks when they arrived at their

destination. He waved to her (after making their dining arrangements) as she left (a little sooner than he would have liked). Allen knew it was silly to feel sad when they were

going to meet again in an hour or so, but for some reason he missed her more while on this mission than he had on previous ones. Shrugging off the feeling and gathering some

clean clothes, he made his way to the showers.

-Later-

Still deep in thought, Allen dried the remainder of his wet hair. A small sigh caught Timcanpy's attention as he fluttered around the room and landed snuggly on Allen's head.

"What should I do, Tim?" The golem answered by nuzzling further into his hair. "I got it for her, but will she think I'm weird? It's not her birthday, nor is it a holiday…Do you

have any ideas?" His companion shook his head and Allen signed again, picking up the small box he'd rescued from the golem earlier. _Maybe this was a bad idea... _

"Allen-kun! Are you ready to go?" Lenalee's sweet voice entered his room as she opened the door.

"Y-Yes!" Allen swiftly hid the present under his pillow and met her at the door, trying to erase the secret he felt was written all over his face.

Lenalee just smiled, either not noticing his nervous demeanor or not saying anything about it. Timcanpy eased the awkward silence by flying into Lenalee's soft blue-green

hair, settling himself atop her head. She laughed. "Hello Tim, did you miss me?" The golem happily snuggled into her hair, making her laugh once more. "Come on, Tim. We'd

better take Allen-kun to the cafeteria before he collapses of hunger!" The 15 yr. old was about to defend himself, when Lenalee grabbed his hand and started running down the

hall. "Let's go, Allen-kun!"

The pink he had avoided earlier threatened to come over his cheeks as her hand held his, but the rushing air cooled his face as they ran through the Order. Laughter echoed

down the halls as the two continued their race, unknowing that at that moment the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and the seemingly endless rain, stopped.


	2. Stars

**Thanks to all that reviewed, I really appreciate it. I'm trying out different formats to see what works best, please let me know if there's a better way (and how to do it) because I am currently in school and have about this much (holds index finger and thumb close together) free time to mess around with it. As I said before, feel free to leave constructive criticism/comments and I hope you enjoy this installment (sorry, it's another slow one. promise more excitement next time)  
**

**p.s. I forgot to mention: I don't own D.Gray-Man or any of its characters, etc. **

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Chapter 2: Stars

Night had settled over the Black Order Headquarters as the soft sound of snoring could be heard from every door…well, almost every door. Allen wasn't anywhere near his room…or the housing floors for that matter. No, Allen couldn't sleep, so he was exploring the upper levels of the complex. Opening a door he'd never seen before, he found a dark, narrow flight of stairs. The air was stale as the exorcist made his way through the dust and cobwebs. He was quite winded when a dim light emanated around the outlines of what looked like another door. The knob was cold to the touch as the teen slowly unlatched the lock. Allen was awestruck at the scene before him, as billions and billions of twinkling stars welcomed the newcomer to the rooftop of the Black Order. A cool breeze rustled his white hair as he walked to the edge.

"Tim, you have to see this." Allen reached down into his coat pocket and pulled out the reluctant golem. "Look, it's like there's an ocean of lights in the sky." Then something else caught his attention. "And look there! The city below! Isn't it beautiful?" Timcanpy fluttered wearily to his companion's head and went back to sleep, leaving Allen to take in the sight alone. He sat and watched as a star shot across the field of lights. _Guess I get to make a wish._ He thought for a moment, smiled, and looked back up at the sky. _I wish there was someone here to share this with… I wish that someone was…_

"What did you wish for, Allen-kun?" Her soft and delicate voice whispered in his ear, spending a chill down his spine.

Startled at first, all Allen could do was look at her. The stars appeared envious as their brilliance was dull compared to the beauty that sat next to him. _Wishes do come true._ He blushed at his thought and was instantly grateful for the darkness.

Lenalee gazed wondrously at the nights tapestry, drinking in the fresh cool air as it softly tossed her hair. Closing her eyes, she leaned back onto her hands and bathed in the starlight. Sounds of the water below entwined with the breeze, tickling her ears as she shivered. Lenalee felt something placed across her shoulders and while sitting up she opened her eyes to find it was Allen's coat. "Aren't you cold?" She asked now facing him. There was a sudden gust that threatened to steal the coat as she held it around her tightly.

Allen didn't answer as the turbulent wind caught the sleeping Timcanpy off guard, nearly blowing him away before a gloved hand wrapped around his small body and brought him back to the safety of his companion's chest. Without a second thought the golem zipped into Allen's shirt, making his friend's body shake from the cold shock. _Darn you, Tim. Why'd you have to do that?_ That's when he noticed Lenalee had moved extremely close to him and was placing his coat around both of them. _I take it back._

The wind picked up again and as she expected, Allen's immediate reaction was to keep her warm. Lenalee savored the warmth of his embrace and let her head rest on his shoulder. "You're so sweet, Allen-kun." It was astounding how good she felt in his arms. Silently, she hoped he felt the same. Another gust assaulted the two and Allen held her a little tighter. She could feel his heart beating fast and felt relieved hers wasn't the only one racing as she snuggled closer to him.

"That's so cute!" Johnny exclaimed as he and Reever watched the monitors. Normally the rooftop cameras were never paid much attention to, but tonight when they reported activity Johnny woke up his squad leader.

Reever smiled and passed Johnny the popcorn as he continued to watch the screens. _I was hoping those two would get together…Good thing Supervisor's asleep…_ His smile widened as he continued to watch the exorcists, listening to their conversation.

"They make you feel small…don't they?" Lenalee gazed up as she referred to the stars. "Almost like you're insignificant compared to them…"

Johnny and Reever leaned in closer as Allen's head rested lightly against hers. "No." He paused, smiling as his gaze turned skyward. "They make me feel blessed, because God allows us to see such a marvelous sight." The eavesdroppers' faces were pressing against the screen as Allen whispered into the girl's ear. "You should never feel insignificant, Lenalee. Because you'll always be special…you'll always be important……_to me_." Lenalee blushed and Allen, suddenly aware he'd said the last part aloud, flushed a similar color. _Great you stupid idiot! She'll hate you now for sure! Why am I so dumb? I hope she'll still speak to me after this._ Closing his eyes he wished himself miles away, hundreds of miles, even thousands…anywhere but in his current situation. Allen was mentally cursing himself when he felt the warmth of her lips on his cheek.

"Thank you, Allen-kun." She nuzzled back onto his warm shoulder. "No one's ever said something so nice to me before."

The monitors suddenly went blank and Johnny whined, quickly looking over at Reever who he found had disconnected the input cables. He was about to question him when the squad leader held up his hand. "This is not to leave this room. Understand, Johnny?" He nodded and watched Reever smile as he deleted the files. "If Komui found out about this, who knows what he'd do to our friend, Allen Walker."

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**Lavi:** Zzzzz...Zzzzz...HELLO?! When do I come in?

**Me: **Next chapter...

**Lavi:** WHAT?! whines

**Me:** You get to mess with Kanda...

**Lavi:** Hurray! I get to play with Yu-chan! We're going to have so much fun!

**Kanda:** What?! -unsheathes Mugen-

**Me:** Oo?! -hides-


	3. Boys and Toys

**Thanks for the reviews. This chapter's a little more...**

**Lavi: Me! Me! Tell me I'm in this one!**

**Me: uh, yea you're in this one...but I told you that la...**

**Lavi: Hurray! -runs off excitedly- Time to play with Yu-chan!**

**Me: Kanda's gonna kill me after this...isn't he?**

**Kanda: yes**

**Oo?! -yells back as runs away- Enjoy the chapter! **

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**Chapter 3: Boys and Toys**

"I'm…so…BORED!" Lavi tossed the book he was reading against the wall of his room. "There's got to be something to do." A mischievous grin formed on his face. "I know! I'll see what Yu's up to!" The red-head excitedly rummaged through his room, locating a box labeled "Research"; he quickly tore off the lid. "Hhhmmm….what should Yu and I do today?" Inside the box were various objects, not at all related to research of any sort. _Roller skates? …No. I know! Wait…we did frilly hats last week… Well darn it what's left to do?!_ Lavi was about to give up when he spotted a remote tied to a yellow bag. "The day has been saved!" Picking up the items, he happily made his way to the training hall where he knew Kanda was perfecting more sword techniques.

- - -

"Ah! What a lovely day!" Komui was skipping through the Order, successfully avoiding any and all work he was supposed to be doing. He was extremely pleased today, because he had secretly finished the latest in his line of Komulins. _Oh Komulin XL!_ He thought as the image in his mind was surrounded by little hearts of affection. _You make me happy in ways I never thought possible!_ Komui was tearing up slightly when he heard a thunderous yell come from the training hall. Curious, he skipped to the area to find a winded Lavi bracing the door shut. "Lavi, what's going on?" The supervisor suddenly remembered something. "How did you like my handy-work? Were you pleased?"

The bookman in training smiled widely and nodded. "They were amazing Komui-san! Yu's playing with them right now."

"Really? I never thought Kanda liked that sort of thing." Komui tilted his head in thought as he remembered something else. "Oh! If you see Allen would you tell him to come to my office?"

"No problem." Lavi smiled again as he felt something bang into the door. "I'll see you later, Komui-san." He waved Komui off as the man went back to praising his newest robot.

"BAKA BUNNY!!!" Lavi ducked as Mugen stabbed into the door where his head had been.

"Oi! Yu be careful with that!" Lavi could feel Kanda's rage practically melt the barrier between then and decided it was time to find a new hiding place.

- - -

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, Lenalee." Reever smiled sheepishly. "But no one can find your brother and we were wondering…"

She sighed, picked up her tray, and smiled sweetly. "I'll be right there, Reever-san."

"Thank you, Lenalee. Sorry again." Captain Reever said as he left the cafeteria.

Lenalee turned back to her dining companion with an apologetic look. "Nii-san is always causing trouble. Sorry I have to go so soon."

"No, it's alright." Allen smiled back. "Would you like some help?"

"You haven't finished your lunch yet. Thank you, but I should be fine." Lenalee stood and returned her dishes to the kitchen, giving Allen a little wave farewell before leaving to find her missing brother.

_She's so cute._ Startled by his own thought, Allen quickly shoved food in his mouth to keep from blushing. _What is wrong with me lately?!_ Finishing his meal had calmed his nerves and he was about to leave when a glowing blade at his throat pinned him to the wall.

"Where is he?" Kanda's dark voice made everyone back away.

"W-Who? Who are you looking for, Kanda?" Allen was contemplating whether or not to activate his own Innocence when Mugen got closer to his skin.

"The baka bunny. Where are you hiding him, Moyashi?!" That's when Allen noticed a bunch of quacking rubber ducks planted themselves on various parts of Kanda's exorcist coat.

It took every ounce of his strength to control the urge to laugh. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out when slowly, Kanda's rage dissipated. "I-… I haven't seen Lavi all day…honest."

The swordsman reluctantly released his prey and sheathed Mugen. "Next time you see him, tell him to keep the hell away from me!" Kanda turned and started to walk away when one of the ducks quacked especially loud. Enraged, he unsheathed his sword and sliced its head clean off. It landed directly in front of Allen as the quacking died. "If that idiot comes near me again you'll pay, Moyashi!"

Allen felt the weight of Kanda's anger leave and slid down the wall. He sat there starring blankly for a moment as the other occupants of the room continued on as if nothing had happened. Then there came a voice from under the table.

"Thanks for hiding me, Allen." The smiling face of Lavi appeared out of nowhere. "You're a true friend."

"Wha…? When did you…? Lavi!" The younger exorcist was about to strangle his comrade when the future bookman interrupted.

"Komui-san was looking for you. He wants to see you in his office."

"Eh? About what?"

"I don't know." Lavi shrugged innocently as the two stood. "Probably another mission."

Allen silently rejoiced as he quickly took care of his pile of dishes and walked with Lavi to the supervisor's office. _Thank goodness! The farther I am away from Kanda and Lavi, the less likely I'm to be diced to bits!_ They parted ways at the door and Allen braced himself for the mountain of papers he knew were stacked on the other side. Upon entering, he eyed a small path and carefully tip-toed his way to the desk. "Komui-san, are you here?"

"Y-Yes…coming!" Komui said as Lenalee dragged him in. Once released he shuffled through the documents, letting out a cry of triumph as he held the mission booklet in the air. "Here we are!" He sang, slightly disturbing the exorcists as he handed the papers to Allen. "Now then," he pushed his glasses into place as he began the briefing. "This could be another wild goose chase, but Finder reports can neither support nor dismiss these rather odd events. Villagers in the town of Kalix claim that there is a monster that changes shape near the Gulf of Bothnia. There have been incidences of the forest around the area supposedly coming to life also. Hospital reports confirm that their wounds are consistent with natural elements; however there have also been police reports of bandits in the vicinity as well. So take extreme caution while on this mission, Allen Walker." Komui looked at his watch. "Your train leaves in ten minutes. Good luck!"

"What?!" Allen rushed out of the office.

Lenalee walked up next to her brother. "Nii-san, is it safe to send only one exorcist on such a mission?"

"You don't think Allen can do it?" Her brother questioned, raising his brow. "That's not like you, Lenalee."

"No, that's not it." She stated looking away. "I asked for a more selfish reason…"

Allen slumped down in the first class booth as the train rattled on. "Why...is Komui-san's…timing…so horrible?" He breathed heavily as he leaned his head back onto the seat. "Is it…too much to…make later reservations?" A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. Allen reluctantly rose and his heart skipped a beat as he opened the door. "Lenalee! What are you doing here?"

Lenalee tilted her head and smiled her usual sweet smile as she entered the booth. "I've always wanted to go to Sweden."

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**-peeks out- Is he gone? **

**Lavi: -also peeks out- For now, but he's determined to find us...did you bring the cheetos?**

**-hands lavi the cheesy snacks- How long do you think this'll take? i've got homework... -takes a handful of cheetos-**


	4. A Bumpy Ride

My apologies for not updating sooner. I'm trying to have the next chapter at least written before posting but midterms shot that out of the water. Anyway, hope you enjoy this installment. It's short compared to the others...more of transition chapter than anything else. I'll try to get back into the swing of things this week...but it's spring break so we'll see Happy St. Patrick's Day! Here's my birthday present to you (yes, I have the best birthday ever, go st. pat's day)! 

Note: If there's a random "?" where it shouldn't belong, it did that after I saved. I think I got them all but if you find one, just ignore it. Thanks.

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**Chapter 4: A Bumpy Ride**

The sun was warm on her face as the train rattled northward. Looking out, she couldn't believe the countryside was still covered in snow so late in the year. It was beautiful how it glittered in the light. The twinkling reminded her of the night she was with Allen on the roof, gazing up at the stars. Lenalee smiled sweetly as her eyes landed on the sleeping exorcist. He was snoozing peacefully when Timcanpy's tail started tickling his nose. She tried not to laugh as the boy attempted to swat the annoyance away, missing horribly in his semiconscious state.

Grumbling in defeat, Allen opened his eyes and plucked his little friend from atop his head. "You're not being very nice, Timcanpy." Releasing the golem, he rubbed his eyes and gazed out the window. "Where are we?"

"Just south of Kramfors." She smiled warmly as he turned towards her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to sleep so long." Allen stretched a little. His limbs were stiff having been asleep since the station in Stockholm.

Lenalee played with her hair. "It's alright, Allen-kun. I woke up not to long ago myself." She then gave him a more concerned look. "Are you feeling better?"

"What?...oh, yes. Much better thank you." Allen scratched the back of his head as he recalled the rough ferry ride over the Baltic Sea. He was slightly embarrassed that her stomach held up better than his and quickly changed the subject. "Lenalee, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Really? What is it, Allen-kun?" She left her hair alone and looked attentively at her friend.

Trying not to sound stupid, Allen cautiously asked his question. "Why do you like Sweden?" Seeing her puzzled look, he added, "You said earlier that you've always wanted to go. I was just wondering why. You don't have to answer, forget I said anything."

Lenalee giggled softly as Allen began to nervously sweat. "You worry too much, Allen-kun." She smiled as he calmed down. "I've just never been there and wanted to see what it was like. Not everyone has had the opportunity to travel as much as you." There were other reasons she didn't mention, to Komui or Allen, but her answer seemed to be enough as he stood and offered her his hand politely.

"Care to accompany me to the dining car?" His bright enchanting smile was contagious.

_Such a gentleman! Why are you always so kind, Allen-kun?_ Lenalee took his hand. "Sure." She let him lead the way as they stopped outside the booth to ask their finder, Toma, if he'd like to come.

Toma eyed their hands and offered to watch over the booth instead. "You two go on ahead. Don't worry about me, I'll get something later." He smiled and waved them off. "I'm in the middle of a card game anyway." The exorcists gave up, leaving the finder in peace as they made their way to the dining car. The train jerked violently, almost sending Toma crashing into the opposite wall before he regained his balance. A loud thud sounded from the other end of the car and Toma looked over just in time to see Allen run into the wall.

Their hands had yet to release, forcing Lenalee to collide into the boy as he lost his footing. She froze, for forced stumble landed her perfectly arranged in his arms. Lenalee lifted his head slightly off his chest and gazed up at Allen's face, which was bright red. Neither spoke as they tried to regain their composure. 

"S-Sorry, Lenalee." Allen broke the silence. Looking down at his hand (which still held hers) he blushed even more before quickly releasing her and turning his face away as she (almost reluctantly) got off of him.

The dark-haired girl felt a little bad for her companion. _Poor Allen-kun… Embarrassed so easily… I know!_ Lenalee laughed a little as she grabbed the boy's coat arm and gently pulled him upright. "Seems the train's a little bumpy today, eh Allen-kun?" She flashed her trademark smile as she noticed his face turn less pink. "I hope the food on the train wasn't destroyed."

Allen faced her and smiled; glad she was still speaking to him after their spill. "That would be a tragedy, now wouldn't it?"

The two laughed as they finally left the car. Shaking his head, Toma collected his scattered cards. _Sometimes I wonder…_ He frowned while he searched for his last two cards, the Queen of Hearts and the Ace of Spades. Toma eventually found them lying next to each other in front of the door to the exorcists' booth. _Is it meant to be, or is this just a cruel game to play with their hearts so?_

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Lavi: Oh yea! He totally meant to do that! Allen's not as innocent as he appears!

Kanda: Che...

Lavi: Aw, is Yu-chan jealous?

Kanda: Like I care -leaves-

Lavi: Wow, no death threats today... Anyway I'll see you later.

Skip (me): Where're you going?

Lavi: Starting the holiday off right, TO THE PUB! -grabs skip and drags her to pub-

Skip: Do we have to? -sighs- Fine, I'm only drinking a coke though...

Lavi: Why?

Skip: Someone has to make sure your drunk arse gets home in one piece xD


	5. Blustery Beginnings

**Please, please, please forgive me!! I didn't mean for it to take this long to update. The past 2 months have been extremely for me...papers, projects, finals, packing, driving 14+ hours to go home for the summer To atone for this, I've been working my butt off to get the next few chapters done and posted...they should be posted within the next day or so. Taking all that into account, there may be misspellings and/or bad grammar. If there is, just let me know and I'll fix it ASAP. As always, constructive criticism is welcome **

**Enjoy!**

--

Chapter 5: Blustery Beginnings

A brisk wind immediately took hold of her hair and tossed the locks wildly as Lenalee stepped off the train into the platform. Blinded by her mane, Allen had to guide her into the small station. "Are you alright, Lenalee?" He brushed a strand that had escaped her ponytails away from her face, revealing her sparkling eyes.

"I'm fine, Allen-kun." Lenalee tried to salvage her tangled tresses by running her fingers through them like a comb, but sighed as nothing could redeem the mess. "It's ruined…and I forgot my hairbrush…"

"It's not that bad." Lenalee gave him a look of disbelief as he pulled something out of his pocket and continued. "If it will make you feel better, you're more than welcome to use my comb."

He placed the object in her hand. She looked up smiling with a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Thank you, Allen-kun."

Lenalee graciously started working on her hair as Toma walked up to them. "A big storm's coming in. We should get to the hotel before it arrives."

- - -

"Lenalee?"

"Yes Allen-kun?" She poked her head around the room divider to find Allen rereading the mission booklet while propped up on his pillow.

"If these events were caused by Innocence, how could it be in both the forest and the bay?" He felt the girl sit on the bed next to him and put the booklet down so he could see her. "The port and the town separate them, right?"

The female exorcist took the papers, flipping through them until she found a map. She examined the map carefully before responding. "The closest the forest gets to the bay in a quarter kilometer near this row of shops." Lenalee pointed to the location as Allen sat up to get a better look. "What do you think this Innocence's power is? If it appears both as a water monster and a tree, could it be that it changes shape?"

"It's possible." Allen pondered the idea. "But how could it be in both the forest and the bay without being seen crossing the town?"

Outside, snow blanketed the small fishing town as the storm passed over, mixing with the warm puffs of smoke exhaled by chimneys; the light in the exorcists' room dimmed finally as the sky began to clear. Wind shook the heavy snow from the bough of a pine, landing abruptly on the figure below.

"Ah! C-C-Cold!!" A shrill voice yelled as a small head popped out from the pile.

"Serves you right… Sleeping on the job; I mean really." The tall dark shadow next to the pile let out a long breath of smoke from his cigarette. "If Master Skin Bolic saw you, you'd be lucky to come out alive, let alone cold."

His companion stuck out his tongue and quickly unburied himself. "Quit acting so tough."

"Quit being a moron."

"I'm not a moron! You are!"

"Says the 'hardly a level two' akuma."

"I earned my ranking just as much as you did!"

"You got lucky."

"You both got lucky, now shut those holes in your faces before I shut them for you!"

Their eyes grew wide and they instantly obeyed the woman's order. "Yes ma'am."

Adjusting her long fur-collared coat, the red haired woman curled her lips into a devilish smile. "It seems that our handiwork has caught the attention of the Black Order. There are two in Kalix as we speak…"

"Let me take care of them for you ma'am!" The tall man bowed before her in his black suit.

"No! Allow me the honor!" Piped the child-like figure as he bowed. "They will be no match for my skill."

"Your skill?! You call your pathetic excuse of an ability a skill?! You couldn't defeat a worm unless it made the mistake of crawling under your boot!"

"Take that back!"

"I'm only saying what's true." The shadowy man smirked, enraging his shorter companion.

"Cale! Anubis! Enough!" Her red lips formed a scowl as the two snapped to attention. "Neither of you are ready to take on even the weakest member of the clergy. Now be quiet and listen to my plan…unless you'd like to explain to the Noah how you let the Innocence slip through your fingers…" Both gulped, terrified of the idea. "That's what I thought." Her mischievous smile returned, reflecting the malevolent glint in her green eyes. "Listen close now, this plan must run smoothly or it'll be all our heads."

--

**It's about time I got the akumas involved, isn't it?**

**Lavi: Yeah, but I'm not T.T What's with your obsession over Allen and Lenalee anyway?**

**Uh, Lavi...this is an AllenxLenalee fanfic...so of course it's gonna have a lot of them.**

**Lavi: so... -pouts- **

**Oi vey! Next time: Lenalee lashes out, Allen's "great" sense of direction drives them off a cliff, and the akuma go caroling...**

**Lavi: Really?! Oo**

**No But it sounds exciting doesn't it?**

**Lavi: T.T No more iced animal crackers and Dr. Pepper for you...**


	6. Decoy

**It figures as soon as I say, "Update in a day or so" tragedy strikes: my notebook went MIA!! An entire week of looking searching and hunting...oh well, my apologies.** **Won't be jinxing it again though. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 6: Decoy

_It's so dark… How can anyone see through such thick foliage?_ Lenalee thought, as she and Allen explored the woods just outside the town. The sun was high in the clear blue sky when the exorcists entered the tree line, but as they went deeper the tall pines gave little hint that it was daylight at all. _As long as we stay together and don't get lost, we should be ok._ She ducked under a branch then straightened quickly when Allen wasn't in sight. _Don't panic, Lenalee. He has to be around here somewhere._ Looking around her eyes failed to adjust quick enough; after a few intense moments she took hold of a nearby pine branch and called out. "Allen-kun! Where are you?"

"I'm right here, Lena-…Ow!" A branch snapped back at him, it felt like a thousand little needles as he fell backwards holding his face. "What was that for?" Allen whimpered quietly to himself as he pulled his hands away slowly, only to put them back to stop the stinging.

"Allen-kun!" Lenalee smiled relieved, then quickly covered up her previous fright. "What's the big idea, sneaking up on me like that? You're lucky my Innocence wasn't activated or I'd of… Allen-kun? Now where'd he go?"

"I'm down here…Lenalee."

Lenalee looked under the branch she had been holding. "Why are you hiding under here, Allen-kun?" She observed how he covered his face and came to the realization that she'd unknowingly slapped the limb at him. "I'm sorry, Allen-kun. Here let me help you."

"No. It's alright…I deserved it." He smiled and held out a hand to keep her back. The sap stung as he tried to open his eyes. "I didn't mean to be sneaky, sorry if I startled you."

She smiled and gently grasped his wrist, pushing it away so it no longer acted as a barrier. "Let's get that stuff out of your eyes so we can leave this dark place." Lenalee knelt next to her slightly uncooperative friend and after successfully pulling his hand away from his face, used a damp cloth to dab away the bits of pine needles and sticky sap. "Is that better, Allen-kun?"

Allen opened his grayish-blue eyes and smiled at her. "Yes. Thank you, Lenalee." She returned the gesture, brushing some of the needles out of his hair as he began to feel the heat in his cheeks increase. _Calm down stupid. This is Lenalee…my __friend__ Lenalee…right?_ Allen shook his head to clear his thoughts. When that didn't work, he resorted to talking about their situation. "We should have brought torches. It will be difficult to search for anything in this darkness."

"Should we head back to town then? The port's lit at night…maybe we'll have better luck there." They both stood and brushed themselves off. "We can check here again tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." The white-haired boy scratched the back of his head while smiling sheepishly; the way he does when he's about to say something that's either shocking or distressing to his companions. "Do you remember the way out?"

Lenalee almost fell over. "You mean we're lost!? I thought you said you had a good sense of direction!"

"No, I said Timcanpy had a good sense of direction."

"Then where's Timcanpy?"

"I was looking for him when you called." Allen noticed her frustration and quickly apologized. "I'm really sorry, Lenalee."

The slender wearer of the dark boots sighed. "It's not your fault." Several birds suddenly took flight, causing the tree limbs to shake and the creatures of the woods below to appear savage. Thousands of glowing eyes stared at them from behind the brush; their growls were amplified in Lenalee's mind as the darkness thickened. A twig snapped nearby and she jumped, clinging onto her friend's arm, both because she was scared and she didn't want to lose track of Allen again. "Let's find Tim and get out of here."

Allen heard the slight quiver in her voice and reassuringly patted the vice grip in his arm. "I'm sure he's nearby." His smile disappeared when his eye suddenly activated. _Akuma! But where?_ Scanning the area, he began counting the numerous enemies that somehow surrounded them. "…twenty-seven…thirty-five…forty-eight…"

Lenalee's prior fright became a distant memory as she released her death hold on the boy and activated her Innocence. "How many are there, Allen-kun." Even through the intense black, she could see Allen's face pale slightly as his arm transformed in the silver claw.

"Enough." He noticed her concerned expression but couldn't bring himself to make one of his tension-easing remarks over the horrendous screams that pounded in his head. "It'll be hard to fight in this dense forest. We need to get into an open area."

Lenalee looked skyward. "I know a place." Grabbing his hand, she flew them up to the tree tops. Night had fallen sometime ago; luckily the moon was bright, enabling Lenalee to see the massive force of akumas that approached. "It's going to be a long night."

Allen nodded. "If this many akumas are here there must be Innocence in the area. We can't let them get it."

She tightened her grip as her boots closed the gap between them and the demons. "Just be careful, Allen-kun." Lenalee threw her companion into a group of level one akumas as she engaged a group of her own.

"The plan is working! Exorcists are so easily fooled!" Anubis smiled mischievously from his hiding place.

"Quit fooling around! Level ones won't keep them occupied for long." Cale grabbed his annoying friend by the collar and dragged him down to the forest floor.

"Yeah right! There's got to be at least 200 of them out there, those exorcists will be lucky to destroy even half of them before their strength fails!" Anubis received a sharp slap in the face and almost kicked his attacker before realizing who it was.

"You're naïve, Anubis." Her red waves blew softly in the breeze as she descended. "Never underestimate your opponent. The moment you do, you sign your own death wish." The three finally landed and she turned her hard green orbs sharply towards her blundering companions. "Search for the Innocence before we run out of decoys."

--

**Lavi: About time you actually have them in a battle...all this mushy gushy stuff...xP**

**You wouldn't be complaining if it was you instead of Allen.**

**Lavi: You're point?**

**Oi vey! Hey Kanda! Lavi went through your stuff again!**

**Lavi: Did not!**

**Kanda: BAKA BUNNY!! -chases Lavi with Mugen drawn-**

**Ah, finally some peace and quiet! -hears Lavi being chased her way- Oh well, later! -teleports away-**

**Lavi: -stops- How did she do that?**

**Kanda: She's the author, baka. She can do whatever she wants. -chase continues-**


End file.
